Thursday morning I got a call while I was in KY from home that one of my friends here in PA had been shot to death by her husband in a murder-suicide act on Wednesday evening. I was totally blown away by this and pretty much still am.
In the movie “The Last Samuri” in the closing when Taka asks how Katsumoto died and Nathan replied “I will tell you how he lived” So that is what I want to write today.
The first time I ever met Meleanie was at one of her daughters soccer games. My GF and I had gone there to meet and support her. See Meleanie was the “Soccer-Mom with a gun” that was in the news about a year ago around the world, because she open carried her Glock 26 to her daughters soccer games. Since then Meleanie had been to our house, we had been to theirs, we had been to different events together on numerous occasions. Meleanie had three children and her husband had one. Meleanie loved all 4 of the children, and life itself, Meleanie was always bright and upbeat whenever we got together at a event or dinner, she loved to laugh and have fun. She joked about never being able to sell or trade her “famous” Glock for anything else on numerous times. We belonged to the same gun range together and I had gone and watched her son (he shot competitively there) shoot. as well as shot with her at the range. I had talked with Meleanie just hours before, we texted or talked almost daily to one another. She was my friend.
Meleanie you will be missed, by many of us who called you a friend.
If you could just remember the 4 children in your prayers with me.
10 Things non-gun people should know about License to Carry Weapons holders.
I found this online a while back and forget where, I adapted it to fit PA
1. We don’t carry firearms so that we can ignore other basics of personal safety.
Every license holder that I know realizes that almost all dangerous situations can be avoided by vigilance, alertness and by simply making wise choices about where one goes and what one does. We don’t walk down dark alleys. We lock our cars. We don’t get intoxicated in public or hang out around people who do. We park our cars in well-lighted spots and don’t hang out in bad parts of town where we have no business. A gun is our last resort, not our first.
2. We don’t think we are cops, spies, or superheroes.
We aren’t hoping that somebody tries to rob the convenience store while we are there so we can shoot a criminal. We don’t take it upon ourselves to get involved in situations that are better handled by a 911 call or by simply standing by and being a good witness. We don’t believe our guns give us any authority over our fellow citizens. We also aren’t here to be your unpaid volunteer bodyguard. We’ll be glad to tell you where we trained and point you to some good gun shops if you feel you want to take this kind of responsibility for your personal safety. Except for extraordinary circumstances your business is your business, don’t expect us to help you out of situations you could have avoided.
3. We are LESS likely, not more likely, to be involved in fights or “rage” incidents than the general public.
We recognize, better than many unarmed citizens, that we are responsible for our actions. We take the responsibility of carrying a firearm very seriously. We know that loss of temper, getting into fights or angrily confronting someone after a traffic incident could easily escalate into a dangerous situation. We are more likely to go out of our way to avoid these situations. We don’t pull our guns to settle arguments or to attempt to threaten people into doing what we want.
4. We are responsible gun owners.
We secure our firearms so that children and other unauthorized people cannot access them. Most of us have invested in safes, cases and lock boxes as well as other security measures to keep our firearms secure. Many of us belong to various organizations that promote firearms safety and ownership.
5. Guns are not unsafe or unpredictable.
Modern firearms are well made precision instruments. Pieces do not simply break off causing them to fire. A hot day will not set them off. Most modern firearms will not discharge even if dropped. There is no reason to be afraid of a gun simply lying on a table or in a holster. It is not going to discharge on its own.
6. We do not believe in the concept of “accidental discharges”.
There are no accidental discharges only negligent discharges or intentional discharges. We take responsibility for our actions and have learned how to safely handle firearms. Any case you have ever heard of about a gun “going off” was the result of negligence on somebody’s part. Our recognition of our responsibility and familiarity with firearms makes us among the safest firearms owners in America.
7. License holders do their best to keep our concealed weapons exactly that: concealed.
However, there are times with an observant fellow citizen may spot our firearm or the print of our firearm under our clothes. We are very cognizant that concerns about terrorism and crime are in the forefront of the minds of most citizens. We also realize that our society does much to condition our fellow citizens to have sometimes-irrational fears about firearms. We would encourage citizens who do happen to spot someone carrying a firearm to use good judgment and clear thinking if they feel to need to take action. Please recognize that it’s very uncommon for a criminal to use a holster. However, if you feel the need to report having spotted a firearm we would ask that you please be specific and detailed in your call to the police or in your report to a store manager or private security. Please don’t generalize or sensationalize what you observed. Comments like “there’s a guy running around in the store with a gun” or even simply “I saw a man with a gun in the store” could possibly cause a misunderstanding as to the true nature of the incident.
8. The fact that we carry a firearm to any given place does not mean that we believe that place to be inherently unsafe.
If we believe a place to be unsafe, most of us would avoid that place all together if possible. However, we recognize that trouble could occur at any place and at any time. Criminals do not observe “gun free zones”. If trouble does come, we do not want the only armed persons to be perpetrators. Therefore, we don’t usually make a determination about whether or not to carry at any given time based on “how safe” we think a location is.
9. License to Carry Firearms holders are an asset to the public in times of trouble.
The fact that most permit holders have the good judgment to stay out of situations better handled by a 911 call or by simply being a careful and vigilant witness does not mean that we would fail to act in situations where the use of deadly force is appropriate to save lives. Review of high profile public shooting incidents shows that when killers are confronted by armed resistance they tend to either break off the attack and flee or choose to end their own life. Lives are saved when resistance engages a violent criminal. Lives are lost when the criminal can do as he pleases.
10. The fact that criminals know that some of the population may be armed at any given time helps to deter violence against all citizens.
License holders don’t believe that every person should necessarily be armed. We recognize that some people may not be temperamentally suited to carry a firearm or simply may wish not to for personal reasons. However we do encourage you to respect our right to arm ourselves. Even if you choose not to carry a firearm yourself please oppose measures to limit the ability of law-abiding citizens to be armed. As mentioned before: criminals do not observe, “Gun free zones”. Help by not supporting laws that require citizens to be unarmed victims.
Sedition Acts
The United States has a long history of silencing it’s citizens. It wasn’t 21 years after our declaring independence from England that John Adams signed the first Alien and Sedition Act. Outlawing citizens speaking out against the way the government was operating. The Vice-President at the time Thomas Jefferson denounced the Sedition Act as invalid and a violation of the First Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights, which protected the right of free speech, his main argument on the unconstitutionality of the act was that it violated the Tenth Amendment: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Jefferson more strongly argued the Federal Government had overstepped its limits in the Alien and Sedition Acts by attempting to exercise unjust powers.
Woodrow Wilson was the next to pass a Sedition Act not a year after commenting on the ability of the citizens and their right to free speech. “I can imagine no greater disservice to the country than to establish a system of censorship that would deny to the people of a free republic like our own their indisputable right to criticize their own public officials. While exercising the great powers of the office I hold, I would regret in a crisis like the one through which we are now passing to lose the benefit of patriotic and intelligent criticism.” ~~ WOODROW WILSON, letter to Arthur Brisbane, Apr. 25, 1917
Unfortunately on May 16, 1918, President Wilson passed the Sediton Act of 1918,
The Sedition Act of 1918 (May 16, 1918) was an amendment to the Espionage Act of 1917 passed at the urging of President Wilson, who was concerned that dissent, in time of war, was a significant threat to morale. The passing of this act forbade Americans to use “disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language” about the United States government, flag or armed forces during war. The act also allowed the Postmaster General to deny mail delivery to dissenters of government policy during wartime.
Are we looking at another Sedition Act in the near future? I see that the National Guard is hiring Corrections Officers for Internment / Detention Centers at multiple locations throughout the United States. I’ll post the link it was at, but it’s already gone / shut down. Imagine that.
Cover your Butts
Peace . . . for now
Would You Shoot?
A blog I read sometimes was about a serial killer that was recently captured in SC. The writer stated that he had begun carrying his Sig Sauer .45acp because f the recent events there and it’s proximity to his home. One killing was less than 8 miles.
http://www.revelife.com/706743153/sc-serial-killer-would-i-really-shoot-in-self-defense/
My comment to his post was:
The Supreme Court on 4 different occasions has ruled that we are ‘not’ to expect police protection 24/7 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,162325,00.html
We are the ones responsible for the protection of our loved ones and ourself, I am actually going to use your post in my Blog on Carrying a gun in PA http://paguncarry.wordpress.com/
Glad they caught the creep, now will they put him to death or coodle him
Peace
Harrisburg, PA, your under arrest
Seems that Harrisburg, PA, in violation of PA’s preemption laws has posted ‘no weapons’ signs in Riverfront Park. Totally illegal and a violation of the PA Uniform Firearms Act.
Title 18, Chapter 61, subchapter A (otherwise known as The Uniform Firearms Act) specifically subsection 6120 which states:
“General rule: No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this commonwealth.”
Yeah, I’m a activist…. LOL for the right side. We are going to go to watch the fireworks at Riverfront Park this weekend. And yes, I will have my firearm with me. with over 22 shooting and 11 deaths from them in the last month, do they really think that I’m going to go there without it. If the United States Supreme Court says that police protection is not to be expected at all times… who is responsible for my safety? I am, and I will be.
peace
Fixing what isn’t broken.
One of the internet forums I’m a member of has a ongoing discussion about magazine disconnects and removing them from your gun. Basically a magazine disconnect prevents the gun from firing unless there is a magazine in the gun. Even if there is a bulet in the chamber it will not fire unless a magazine is inserted as well.
My Ruger P345 has one of these and I would never think of disconnecting it, I’ve stated my position that I believe it’s bad to remove a safety feature on any gun. It’s good to know that even if it’s loaded (it’s always loaded unless I’m cleaning it or am at the range)and someone trys to grab my gun away from me that I could drop the magazine and make the gun innoperable. My old Smith & Wesson 4006 had one of these as well, sometimes after cleaning I would forget and try to dryfire it without the magazine in. Yeah getting old sucks.
This is how I really feel about it, do I really want to give some bad guys lawyer a license to use a “so tell us why you removed a safety feature on your gun” argument against me if indeed I ever have to defend my right to defend myself in court. No these aren’t just ‘urban ledgends’ as some pro-gun activists claim. Lawyers will use and say whatever they need to if they are getting paid enough to do it. Like it or not with judges like the current Supreme Court nominee, we have to cover our asses because the courts are not our friend
Farrah Faucett and Micheal Jackson have both died this week, one will be missed
Combat Action Pistol Shooting
Sunday I got to go to a Combat Pistol Shoot at Tuplehocken Fish & Game. Was the first time I’ve ever been to something like that. Was fun, went with a couple guys I know from Jonestown Fish & Game. I Suck, pretty much sums up how I did. I shot both the rimfire and the centerfire class. I should have brought my 1911, but chose to shoot my Ruger instead in centerfire.
Basically we shot, 6 at a 25 yard B-26 target, 6 at 6 steel plates at 25 yards, 6 at 6 steel plates at 10 yards, 6 at a three bad guy, one with a hostage senario at variable distances, 6 at 6 steel plates at a varied distance, 6 at 6 bowling pin shaped steel plates. You have 8 seconds to shoot the six shoots in each phase.
My .22lr needs help, it’s got issues with new fangled high speed ammo. It’s a High Standard HD Military that belonged to my grandfather. It’s older than I am I believe. I’m going to give it to my local gunsmith to work on, he has a lot of High Standard Parts he bought from a older guy who retired. That’ll be nice to be able to get it worked on, I’d like to shoot it more, but haven’t been because it’s so old.
Oh btw, the funeral for the cardboard hostage who I COM’d twice will be held Friday. Good to know I wasn’t the only one to do it though. But since I was using ball ammo it probably passed through and got the bad guy as well…
It was fun. I did as good as I expected for the first time
What’s In Your Pocket
Yes, I carry a gun with me daily as I travel around Central PA. But there’s also a lot of other stuff I carry around daily. Her’s just a list of them and why I carry them. I’m not going to include my Wallet and Keys in my list of things.
They are in now special order except for the first one. My Cell phone, never leave the house without it when I carry. I want to be able to call the police if something ever does happen. I read a lot about how the first caller is generally percieved as the ‘victim’ by the police when people call. I’d like to be that first one.
2. Gerber 3.5″ Para Frame knife , it’s light, thin, opens easily and has a lock blade which means it’s not goning to chop my fingers off slipping closed. It has a belt clip and I usally clip it on the right pocket of my pants.
3. LED Flashlight, made by Rayovac, 80 lumes, aluminium, uses AA batteries instead of the more expensive lithium ones. Very bright and can be blinding at night. also clipped onto my right pocket next to my Knife
4. Digital Voice Recorder, it’s compact, downloadable and easy to operate. I think of it as a insurance policy as far as who said what. Makes it a whole lot easier to recall what happened if it’s on a recording as well. Left front pocket.
5. Extra Magzine, 8 rounds in a old Gerber mutitool pouch on my belt on the right side.
6. PA Open Carry information flyers, Education is the key to people knowing the correct laws, will have about 8-10 of them with me in my left rear pocket. You can read it and download it here. I print my own, haven’t quite got the format figured out to get the folds right. http://paopencarry.org/pdfs/Pennsylvania_Gun_Rights.pdf
Well, those are just a few things I carry on a daily basis along with my Ruger.
Peace
Random Thoughts
We should not forget that the spark which ignited the American Revolution was caused by the British attempt to confiscate the firearms of the colonists. – Patrick Henry
When they took the 4th Amendment, I was quiet because I didn’t deal drugs.
When they took the 6th Amendment, I was quiet because I am innocent.
When they took the 2nd Amendment, I was quiet because I don’t own a gun.
Now they have taken the 1st Amendment, and I can only be quiet.
– Lyle Myhr
Just a couple of quotes worth thinking about.
Our President has decided to nominate a ‘activist’ judge for the Supreme Court, imagine that. A judge that has ruled against the 1st, 2cd and 4th amendments in her time as a US District Court Judge. I don’t care if she was appointed by George H.W. Bush. In my opinion. I think the ‘liberal’ leadership is lining up it’s ducks for a assault on the Constitution. Obama has already (before the election) stated that he believes the Constitution of the United States is outdated and should be revised to reflect ‘modern’ ideology.
I heard on the fox news that George Tiller (America’s most prolific abortion doctor) was murdered at his church in KS. I can only comment that murder is unjustifiable . . . . even of a murderer such as Tiller.
Looking to buy a new AR15 flattop at a decent price and possibly a Sig Sauer P6, the Sig is a 9mm semi-auto pistol, refurbished former German Police trade-in. My local shop has both, it’s nice living less than a 1/4 mile from a gunshop.
Now if I can just find some Hornaday 45 acp +P 230g XTP/JHP’s for my Ruger to eat I’d be great. Seems any Hornaday ammo is getting harder to find than a conservative in Washington, DC.
Peace
A PA Open Carry Must read
Headcase, wrote a great synopsis of Open Carry in Pennsylvania. I would have use his name but in asking permission he said just his PAFOA screenname would surfice.
http://forum.pafoa.org/open-carry-144/59762-open-carry-what-you-should-know-before-you-do.html
So, you have been thinking about OC(Open Carry), and now you think you are ready……
In this Commonwealth, OC is an unlegislated right. Well, everywhere except Philadelphia, where you need to be Licenced to Carry Firearms in order to carry Concealed or Openly. There are many reasons to choose OC as a carry method, not the least of which is, “Because I can.”. If this describes you, please, feel free, but know that there are possible consequences that you really should be prepared for. The choice to prepare is yours. If you choose to prepare, then follow along. I am going to present all the OC knowledge I can in this thread, to help prepare you for the experience. I will be giving general information and advice( I do so from my own research and personal experience- IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, DO I CLAIM TO BE A LAWYER OR THAT THIS INFORMATION AND ADVICE WILL KEEP YOU OUT OF JAIL), and will include links for you to dig deeper. The main points to cover, as far as I am concerned, are Equipment, Training, Awareness, Knowledge, and Interactions.
It is your right to just pick up your firearm, strap it on, and go off about your business OC’ing, if you so desire. BUT, I would suggest you learn all you can before doing so. Start with suggested equipment:
1.) A good retention holster.
2.) A voice recorder (Audio/video taping police in PA).
3.) This flyer. Print off a few, carry them with you, and make sure you understand the content. This is one of the best resources you will find. It has good case law references and a wealth of information. LEARN IT, KNOW IT, LIVE IT!
4.) Your LTCF. While a LTCF is not needed to OC anywhere but Philadelphia normally, the convenience of having one is huge. It allows you to be in possession of your firearm in a vehicle, it allows you to carry during a declared state of emergency, it allows you to carry in a Gun Free School Zone, and God forbid your clothing should accidentally cover your firearm while OC’ing, you’re covered.
Practice with both 1 and 2 until you are comfortable with their operation. Read and understand 3..thoroughly.
This leads right into Training:
1.) Professional training classes dealing with firearm carry are always suggested. The more you train, the better.
2.) OC specific Retention (concerns about a disarm and level of skill?)training is strongly suggested. This should, at the very least, consist of Retention drills. While I personally don’t believe a gun grab is a very likely scenario for a non-LEO Open Carrier, THE POSSIBILITY DOES INDEED EXIST, and the consequences of not preparing to defend against one can be drastic. Basic Retention training can be as simple as making sure you have an unloaded pistol, and having someone come try to sneak up and take it out of the holster. If you are involved in any type of self defense class or martial arts training, simply asking the instructor to go over some techniques could pay enormous dividends. Part of that training is going to touch on Situational Awareness..
Awareness:
1.) Whether, or not, you are carrying a firearm, it is a great idea to be aware of your surrounding.
2.) Open Carrying a firearm is an activity that fairly screams for you to be extra aware of your surroundings. While in the grocery store, you are stretching up to grab the last can of beans, totally intent on what you are doing, when the six year old of the lady gawking at your Desert Eagle reaches up to touch the shiny gun because his mother never taught him to respect others personal space. Awkward situation, no? Dangerous? Well, yeah. Maybe the kid has no shot at activating the firearm, but if a six year old could reach out and grab it with you unaware until it happens, who else could do so? Always be aware of your firearm, and your surroundings.
Knowledge:
1.) If you are going to carry a firearm, OC, CC, whatever, KNOW THE LAWS THAT APPLY. DO RESEARCH HERE. Even if you search the forums and come up empty, ask about what you are looking for and someone here will help you. There are more than a few people here who have been OC’ing for quite a while, who know the answer to just about anything you can think to ask…USE THIS RESOURCE!
2.)SEE #1!
3.) It bears repeating, you have the right to OC, whether you follow these suggestions or not, but please, PLEASE do not go out and OC, get into trouble and then come looking for help after the fact, expecting to be treated with kid gloves, especially if you should have known what to do before hand. If you do your homework, accept the risks and responsibilities, then you will find almost unlimited help here if you have a problem.
Some threads that should be required reading for OC’ers:
http://forum.pafoa.org/open-carry-14…ity-5-9-a.html (Pa. Patriot ARRESTED at the OC dinner @ The Old Country Buffet in Dickson City 5/9)
http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-ope…nsylvania.html (READ FIRST: Where you CAN and CANNOT Carry weapons in the State of Pennsylvania)
http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-ope…heres-why.html (Mere carry of a weapon RAS? NO! (Here’s why!))
http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-ope…ou-can-cc.html (Why OC when you can CC?) (post #9 has a few other links)
http://forum.pafoa.org/open-carry-14…-why-i-oc.html (This is why I OC.)
There are probably a hundred OC related threads here… While the OCB thread is way long, there is a wealth of information starting on page 15
Interactions:
Many people OC everyday with no problems, but there is always the possibility that you will have an encounter, just because someone can see your firearm.
Know the laws. Know your rights. Be comfortable in that knowledge. Be prepared to deal with police, curious people, and hostile people.
Police:
All police officers in Pa., must undergo annual training updates. This year, OC is specifically addressed (2009 MPOETC Mandatory In-Service Training). The specific info is here
The fact of the matter is that just Openly Carrying a firearm, in a holster, absent some indication of criminal activity, is NOT a valid reason for a police officer to stop you, detain you, arrest you, demand ID, or take possession of your firearm. Whether they will, or not, seems to depend on the officer. If they do, no matter how nice, polite, endearing, or childhood friend like, they seem, you would do well to say nothing other than, “Am I being detained? Am I free to go? I do not consent to any of this.”. If they demand that you follow their instructions, comply with them exactly. When you consent to things during a police encounter, you very likely waive your rights. Just don’t do it. Watch these don’t talk to police part1 part2
1.) If you carry a voice recorder, immediately start it as soon as you are aware of a police presence.
2.) If the police approach you, DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FIREARM.
3.) Everyone will react to a police encounter differently, but you really should be firm about exercising your rights. Do not let them bully you into waiving those rights. Remember that if you were not doing anything illegal, then the police have no right to demand, or take, anything from you. Do not volunteer anything.
Some good stuff here (STOP, DETAIN, SEARCH – What CAN an Officer Do Legally (IANAL))
4.) It would be advisable to know a firearm rights attorney’s information.
Curious people:
If you OC as part of your daily activities, you are bound to encounter at least one person who is genuinely curious about why you are carrying a gun out for God and the world to see. While OC ambassadorship is not for everyone, it helps the cause to be friendly when someone approaches you asking about your firearm. This is a great reason to carry copies of the Gun Rights Flyer with you. If you are going to engage people in a conversation about Pa. Gun rights, please, please be knowledgeable on the subject. Don’t pass along any information that you are not sure of, and direct them to this site or Paopencarry.org, for more information. Invite them to do more research on their own. Acting like you know what you are talking about, and perpetuating firearm myths, does about as much damage to our cause as illegal activity does, IMO.
1.) Try to be polite.
2.) Know what you are talking about. If you don’t know something, say so and direct them to where they can find out.
3.) If you have a flyer, give it out.
Hostile people:
You may well also have encounters with people who, for whatever reason, feel that you are the Devil for carrying Openly. Again, while OC ambassadorship is not for everyone, try to be polite. Remember that if you act aggressively toward someone like this, the fact that you have a firearm may work against you. My general advice for non-LEO encounters is to just be yourself. I am not going to preach about turning the other cheek if some asswipe comes up and interrupts your anniversary dinner to tell you that you are a jerk for carrying like that, all I ask is that you remember, for your own good, that if you become a raving lunatic, it is probably not going to turn out well for you when the inevitable “Man with a gun having a fight” call gets answered. This ties in with situational awareness. Know where you are, what your surroundings are, and act accordingly. I have found that anything you do to respond to people like this, will be a complete waste of time, as anyone who is willing to be publicly uncivil toward someone carrying a firearm openly, is not very likely to be swayed by logic.
1.) Try to be polite.
2.) If you must engage in a pissing contest with someone like this, try to do so in a calm, dry tone.
3.) Do not, under any unnecessary circumstance, reach for or imply that you will use, your firearm.
4.) Try complaining about them to the management of wherever you might be at the time. Turn the tables on these guys for once 
5.) Just ignoring them is probably best.
